Germany – Third Reich: An interesting Afrika Korps document grouping to Sergeant Michael Kagerer, Army Medical Services who having been called up just before the outbreak of war would take part in the fighting in France and the Low Countries in 1940 before serving in North Africa with the Afrika Korps as part of the 200th Field Hospital attached to the 21st Panzer Division. He would have been present during all of the major battles that took place during this campaign including Tobruk, El Alamein and the final defence of Tunisia resulting in being taken prisoner on 13th May 1943. Suffering from malaria he would be repatriated to Germany and saw out the remainder of the war with various replacement units in between stays in hospital for his malaria diagnosis.
Documents:
1) Military identity card, dated 10th April 1937
2) Three personal data sheets (1941, 1942, 1943). Entered are relevant personal and military career data including campaigns involved in, medals awarded and promotions.
3) Covering letter by his unit, sent with his personal military records and his wehrpass to the Pfaffenhofen (Bavaria) Military Recruiting Office, 31st October 1943. Confirming that he belonged to the personnel of Feld Lazarett 200 that was captured in North Africa on 15th May 1943.
4) Leave certificate for military personnel repatriated from enemy Prisoner of War camps to Germany, dated 26th October 1943. After a month of leave he was to report for duty again.
5) Declaration in lieu of an oath, dated 13th August 1944. Confirming that he belonged to Feld Lazarett 200 personnel and stating that he was forced to sign documents in English (which he could not read) and that photos and fingerprints were made of him. Rumours went that these documents were a commitment not to serve actively anymore in a front line unit as a condition for repatriation.
6) Medical statement from a doctor from the Rosenheim Reserve Military Hospital dated 27th October 1944 confirming that he is hospitalised suffering from malaria.
7) part of page 2 of his Wehrpass with his uniform passphoto still attached to it.
8) Wehrstammbuch, Counterpart of the Wehrpass. Same (and even more) entries.
Michael Kagerer was one of a large number of individuals called up just prior to the outbreak of war. He initially served from August 1939 until March 1941 as a medical orderly and surgical assistant, most likely an anaesthetist, with Kriegstransport Abteilung 551 of the 7th Army and was based in south-west Germany, but would also take part in the last period of fighting during the campaign in France in May-June 1940, before serving as part of the initial occupation force. He would also subsequently serve in Poland until March 1941.
From March 1941 until February 1943 he served with the Kriegstransport Abteilung 705 and was then detached to the Tripoli Military Hospital from July until September 1941 and in March 1942 transferred to the Kriegs Lazarett 200, the field hospital of the 21st Panzer Division of the Afrika Korps, where he served until its surrender in Tunisia in May 1943. He would serve during the fighting in Cyrenaica and be present at the Battles at El Alamein, before ending up being present during the final battles in Tunisia.
He would then be taken prisoner on 13th May 1943 at the time of the general surrender of German troops to the allies in North Africa.
He would be repatriated in October 1943 most likely as a result of malaria. He would spend the remainder of the war in Germany with replacement units but would frequently be hospitalised with Malaria.
Kagerer would be decorated with the War Merit Cross 2nd Class with swords, Italo-German Campaign in Africa Medal and the ‘Afrika’ cufftitle
